Of course, one expects a lot of naara baazifrom both his supporters and his detractors. That is merely to be expected. But beyond the black and white slogans there was the man and the legacy of the man that has clearly impacted much of what has happened since his death, especially because of the nature of his removal.

How might have the PPP evolved in either of those cases? What would these have meant for Pakistan’s politics as a whole? And Pakistan’s economy and foreign relations? Pakistani institutions?

I am not presupposing any answer, nor am I suggesting that these are questions that can be logically answered precisely. But they may be questions worth thinking about today; not just to speculate about how might have happened, but much more important to think about how our acts of political expediency today can have long and deep shadows – nearly always unintended, quite often consequential, and sometimes historically disastrous even for those who orchestrate them.

52 Comments on “Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Death Anniversary: What If He Had Not Been Killed?”

Durrani says:

April 4th, 2011 8:05 pm

Best result of that would have been that Zardari would never have become President. In fact, I think someone like like ZAB would never have allowed his daughter to marry someone like Zardari.

Kamal says:

April 4th, 2011 8:47 pm

Of the many sad things that happened was that the PPP totally lost its way. Today it has NOTHING to do with ZABs ideology. Ideaologically it is difficult to see what difference there is between it and any other party in Pakistan. In fact, in many ways it is now MORE right-leaning than even PML(N) as we saw after Salman Taseer’s murder. Had Bhutto lived I think he would have maintained at least some of that ideology and we would have a more strong multi-party system than just a bunch of parties around personalities with no ideological basis.

Khuram Khan says:

April 4th, 2011 9:21 pm

With ZA Bhutto $ went from Rs 5 to perhaps 12.VW car from Rs.9000 to 30,000, Toyota Corona fully loaded,from 12000 to God knows how much as it dissappeared.
At that rate I think PPP has made progress.Imagine if it had stayed in power all along!!!!!!!!!!

Meekal Ahmed says:

April 4th, 2011 9:31 pm

ZAB should be applauded not criticized for taking the bold move of abandoning the unsustainable peg of the rupee to the dollar at Rs 4.76.

That was economic madness.

Tariq says:

April 4th, 2011 9:56 pm

1. Pakistanis would have been spared the 10 year reign of terror of Zia ul haq.

2. Nawaz Sharif would have reached the high point of his career based on his intellect alone; a small time scrap iron merchant.

3. Bhutto would have never allowed the wahabi clerics from Saudi Arabia to conduct their disastrous social experiment in pakistan by opening all these terrorist spawning madrassas.

4. Bhutto would have never allowed Pakistan to be dragged into the Soviet / Afghan war. He would have never allowed all those Aghan refugees to come pouring into pakistan. He would have never allowed Pakistan to become a conduit for CIA arms supply to the Afghan Mujahiddin.

If Bhutto had lived, we would indeed have a different Pakistan today. A flourishing democracy, sound and stable political
institutions, educated and informed public, and a growing economy. Zia ul haq and his so called “rufuqas” destroyed everything.

Simply put, our economy has yet to recover from nationalization. Regardless of ZAB’s other attributes, that single act set us back one generation at the very least. Developing countries need investment. Chasing away our business families and rattling foreign investors was disastrous. Pundits forget, institutional investors do not. Fact.

HaroON says:

April 4th, 2011 10:35 pm

In your first scenario, if Zia had not intervened then – no matter what (good or bad) – Pakistan would not have gone down the path of fundamentalism and violence it is in now. The key event was not the death of Bhutto, it was the rise of Zia’s evilness.

zahran says:

April 4th, 2011 11:59 pm

Thousands of senseless killings in last 30yrs from sectarianism, terrorism, regionalism and religious bigotry surely would have been avoided..these were deliberately incited in order to decrease Bhuttos popularity and eliminate him from history…

Asim says:

April 5th, 2011 12:22 am

I agree with HaroOn, “..The key event was not the death of Bhutto, it was the rise of Zia’s evilness.” however at the same I cann’t wait for a similar post dedicated to Asif A. Zardari.

Faraz says:

April 5th, 2011 1:10 am

It’s ZAB’s 32nd death anniversary, not 22nd. He died in 1979.

Amin says:

April 5th, 2011 2:54 am

FSF would have killed all opposition leaders. If any one was left alive, the person would be in jail, exiled in a boat, or “voluntarily” left the country. Bhutto did not hesitate to beak Pakistan to become a “civilian martial law administrator.” He would have proven to be the worst dictator in the histroy. Economy? Every thing would have been nationalized. No one will have been allowed to say anthing, even suggesting any thing againt the will of Quaid-e-Awam. When I hear “Zinda ha Bhutto,” I see his disciples doing the same to the nation what he would have done in a much better way.

ASAD says:

April 5th, 2011 3:33 am

I am convinced that it would have been a better Pakistan had ZAB lived. He was not perfect, no one is. But of all the leaders we have had he was the only real ‘leader’. Democracy and institutions were both better in his time and he changed Pakistan for the good. Most importantly by giving ‘voice’ to ordinary Pakistanis. Today’s PPP has abandoned those Pakistanis beyond slogans but Bhutto’s real contribution was that he made the ‘awam’ feel like this was really their country. That has never happened either before him or after him. THAT is why he was great.

Meengla says:

April 5th, 2011 5:32 am

In my mind there is no question about it that Pakistan would have been far better off today had ZAB lived through the time after 1979 then it is now.
It is not that ZAB was such a genius. It is what followed him: A proto-Taliban President General Zia ul Haq who ruled Pakistan for a full 1/4th of Pakistan’s history since the Independence and had turned a Sufi-oriented society to some kind of Wahabbi or some other Middle Eastern kind of ‘Islamic’ State.
Now, I know, there are the usual charges against ZAB of using ‘political Islam’: Banning gambling and public alcohol consumption. Showing cowardice and declaring Ahmadis as Non-Muslims. However, all those were a few unfortunate bones thrown to the religious Right to blunt their attacks against him. No where ZAB tried to change the Pakistani society radically to use Islam as a political tool. Sure, when it suited Pakistan’s interest, he warmed up to the Arab states, only to promote mass-sending of Pakistan’s workers to them to generate revenue for Pakistan.
In short, I am amazed that so many people accuse ZAB of introducing too much Islam in Pakistan. We need to study the extent/depth of ZAB’s so-called ‘Islamization’ to understand that ZAB was a mere demagogue who only superficially, often cowardly, introduced Islam in Pakistan. And that is precisely why those who rose against him in 1976/77 used Islam against him and that is precisely because ZAB–even in his final words before being hanged–went after the religious parties like Jamaat e Islami.

ZAB was a mortal enemy to the religious Right then. And even today, despite all the watering down of the original PPP, it is the PPP leaders who are mostly targeted by the religious Right: Benazir Bhutto, Salman Taseer, and Shehbaz Bhatti. Hopefully not poor Sherri Rehman.

As to the failure of his ‘nationalization’, let’s not forget that the PPP was voted into power based on a certain ‘Leftist’ platform with its origin in the turbulent 60′s. Why do we then only blame Zulfi as person then? Were those not some acts of Parliament then? However ‘wrong’ they may have turned out to be but they were not some the whims of one person.

ShahidnUSA says:

April 5th, 2011 5:49 am

He would have been my hero if he would send every single Pakistani child to the school, but I doubt it.

Jerks and some women are egomaniacs!
And Pakistan got its hands full of them.

If he wasn’t killed, he would be there now instead of Zardari. Nothing else would have been different. Any doubts?

sidhas says:

April 5th, 2011 6:44 am

Simply put, Pakistan would be a better place to live.

ann syedha says:

April 5th, 2011 7:43 am

@ Amin you sound as if u think that ZAB ruled a country with out people or that We all were sleeping when he did all this Wrong !!
Come on man ! Dont MUTILATE the history in such a Rough way …. Though a Little girl but I remember all of ZAB days….
Our School teachers of Islamiyat Openly Spoken against Him( the Sitting 1st Elected PM ) all the time, Mufti , Norani, Wali , Madodi , Asghar khan , Tufail.. u name it.. all Spitting VENOM against that so called Worst dictator of urs… & he didnt even killed a Single 3rd class right wing political joker like urs Claimed champion commando of MEDIA from Army( ON RENT ) killed Saradar Akber Khan, there was Cheap cotton suits for Kissans, there was bundles of Cheap rotis for Mazdoors…, there were cards for getting cheap sugar in those worst Recession days of 70′s ( THAT made ur INDUSTRIALISTS TYCOONS CRAZY over him) …just a few to tell u………………………..
so GIVE us a BREAK man ! if u were not born at that time
let others comment & u just ” learn ” how to write TRUTH ! & if u were there I am impressed by the way u beat Goebbels !

ann syedha says:

April 5th, 2011 7:51 am

@ShahidnUSA …. yes ! he did that … I remember My school fee was more than 600 & we were 5 children all school going & when our schools Nationalized & directed by the government of ZAB that there will be Compulsory education for all children till 10th & NO FEE would be taken … parents were so Happy !
& then came that EVIL known as ZIA ( the Complete DARKNESS) & Compulsory education to all school going children CEASED !

Kafir Per Pakistani Law says:

April 5th, 2011 10:30 am

INJUSTICE BEGETS INJUSTICE
Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto did INJUSTICE to reciters of Kalima-Shahada in 1974.
INJUSTICE was done to Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto in 1978-1979 in High Court and Supreme Court of Pakistan. He was first victim of injustice in murder trial of any Pakistani murder suspect. He was first Pakistani to get injustice after he gave injustice to other Pakistanis.
In Supreme Court Bhutto asked judges to declare him Muslim because he is reciter of Kalima-Shahada.
Bhutto learned before he was hanged, a Muslim is one who recites Kalima-Shahada.
Allah-O-Akbar.

SH kavi says:

April 5th, 2011 10:51 am

I may or may not comment on the actual question you asked, but when I saw the above picture,following SHAIR of Faiz came out of my mouth reflexly.

Had he lived then we would have risen like the Egyptions, Libyans and Yeminese to remove him.
ZA had the heart of a democrat (perhaps) and the mind of a despot.It was the mind that always prevailed.It was the same with his daughter.With AAZ it is neither heart nor mind;it is MONEY period.

M.AKRAM KHAN says:

April 5th, 2011 3:05 pm

Zulfikar Ali Bhutto: Killer of Bengalese

Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was the head of the Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) in 1971. In the general election of 1970, Bhutto won 88 seats in West Pakistan as opposed to Mujib’s 162 seats out of 169. As per the legislation Mujib was supposed to form the government of Pakistan. According to some Pakistani high officials sources, at first president Yahya was more inclined to hand power over to Mujib.
But Bhutto opposed Yahya’s decision. Bhutto represented the influential feudal lords. Pakistani military-feudal axis vehemently opposed the transference of power. They were afraid that Mujib’s democratic policies may adversely affect the existing feudal system of West Pakistan and curb the power of the top civil and military bureaucrats. So their representative Bhutto invited Yahya in the notorious Larkana meeting and together two shrewd jackals conspired to repress the Bangalees with military means and retain the political power in the hands of the West Pakistanis. This theory is plausible because such a brilliant idea is more likely to emanate from the arch machiavellian: Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. Yahya is more given to kill his fellow countrymen to show off his military prowess than formulate a brilliant idea to sort all the problems together: destroy Bangladesh; keep the power in the hands of Bhutto and him; make Niazi and the army the scapegoat of the war in order to divert the attention of the Pakistani people. Tajuddin Ahmed was right to think that Bhutto was the deux ex machina behind the political conspiracy leading to the devastation of Pakistan: “…..Bhutto is responsible for the unprecedented brutality unleashed nationwide. Seating with him is impossible. Tajuddin’s view on Bhutto as described by Rao Forman Ali.
Bhutto manipulated the military monsters (Yahya, Tikka) to secure his power and maintain his vested interest in politics. All through his political career he thrived on conspiracy and intrigues. As often the fate of such treacherous politicians is to end up in the hands of the partners in crime, Bhutto was justified to be hanged by his own Frankenstein: General Ziaul Huq in a murder case registered by one of his own party member Mr.Qasoori against him for killing his father by using government official.
There is need to start criminal investigation against Mr. Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto for genocide of Bangalese and crimes against humanity by United Nations.

Orca says:

April 5th, 2011 3:48 pm

If ZAB were alive today, we would buy one roti for Rs300 and enjoy living like beggars.

Noman says:

April 5th, 2011 3:50 pm

@Orca
But we are doing that already , living like beggars. Zia and then Musharraf and now Zardari have all ensured that.

Orca says:

April 5th, 2011 3:52 pm

Well, we would be like beggar multiplied by ten.

As far as I know I don’t buy roti for Rs300. Not yet. LOL

Noman says:

April 5th, 2011 4:53 pm

Mr. Orca. How do you come with the number 300? Can you please explain your method. Or are you just a habitual liar who made up a random number?

Orca says:

April 5th, 2011 5:02 pm

—How do you come with the number 300?—

Ok… Rs.500.

Better?

—are you just a habitual liar—

I am not into politics, thanks.

Ghafoor Bhutto says:

April 5th, 2011 5:15 pm

I myself am a Bhutto, so everybody should listen to me when I say that he REALLY was a first class tyrant…. Anyway, not wanting to go into much detail about what sort of a tyrant he was — I’ll just say that had he been alive today, than I can’t say much about Roti, but Kaapra and Makaan would have become totally unattainable (worse than anybody can imagine).

Ms. ann Syedha I was an adult in Bhutto’s time and working in a government office where I had some personal observations of Bhutto’s love for awam. I wrote what is histroy. Thank you for your comments.

Although the so-called judicial murder of the man who was the chief protagonist of democracy as well as mobcracy has been a black spot in our history lessons yet their lies a bigger lesson behind it.
The question is not that what would have happened if? But what have we learnt from it? As per today neither the political party Bhutto formed is replicating and adhering, his philosophies nor any other political leader has ever taken a leaf out of his classy, immaculate and invincible personality. He was a person to be followed even after he was hanged. Had we demonstrated the courage and dexterity he possessed we could have set the Thames on fire. His was a period of mature politics while today is a period of dirty, mudslinging politics. His was a period of nationalism while today we are going trough a dearth of nationhood and complacency. What have done to ourselves??? That’s why we always ask what if???

Why has there been no one like ZAB again? Why has the country been pulled from bad to worse after every progressive leader? Why are the leaders of our political party so self-absorbed, spineless and simply put, idiots? Seriously, whenever I see any of them on TV, I want to cover my face in shame…none of them are worth being there! Then again, we have supported them and put them where they are today! We, as a nation, have failed in producing a leader worth being under! Apart from Imran Khan maybe but unfortunately he hasn’t been able to garner as much support because the level of education in Pakistan is still horrendously low.

The key lies in Education, the more the people get educated, the more wiser decisions we can make as a nation!

@ Mr.Amin …. ohh so u were adult & government employee so u must be one of those 303 who were dismissed by Bhutto govr.
otherwise .. there were no such general Observations… If one have seen Zia ‘s LASHES , JAILS, HANGING SCENARIOS … he never ever call ZAB a dictator !!
By the way I am not a Blind supporter of ZAB shaheed ..I am a Big critic of his Balochistan Operation , turning Ahmadis non muslims & Promotion to Killer Zia .But Record should be straight … his Good points in any case above his Bad points… After all he was a Human being …
Thanx….

He would have been my hero, had he sent every single Pakistani child to school.

But I do appreciate the way he touched many Pakistani hearts, gave them a Hope and did achieve few positive things as well.

Thank you Bhutto!

Umar Shah says:

April 6th, 2011 10:29 am

If Bhutto was alive today Pakistan would be another Iraq or Libya with Saddam or Qaddhafi style rule. The man had exhibited short bursts of brilliance but was overall a tyrant and psychopath like all feudals. He couldn’t rise above himself or his feudal background unfortunately. Most of the ghunda gardi, badmashi and religion in politics is of his making. Zia-ul-Haq was his pick; what Zia did to Pakistan and it’s generations will always remain Bhutto’s responsibility; complacency towards Mullahs was his choice and introducing terror tactics and dirty politics was his gift. Looking at the performance of successive PPP govts. doesnt surprise me a bit. He set the stage for them. It only gets worse from any point in time if you look at their history. It’s sad, he had the potential to raise Pakistan and make it a great nation had he truely believed in what he preached.

Cyma says:

April 6th, 2011 5:09 pm

Interesting question. No one can say for sure but at very least Zia era would not have developed the way it did giving rise to fundamentalism.

Khuram Khan says:

April 6th, 2011 9:33 pm

Maxim’s cartoon in 06 April (today’s)issue of ‘The Nation’ pretty much sums up the whole discussion.

Amin says:

April 7th, 2011 12:38 am

@ann syedha, No I was not one of those “lucky” people. I lived under threats and suffered in Islamabad. Here we are not making comparison of Bhutto vs anyone. To me, Ayub, Yahya, Zia, and Mushraf are all dictators and during my student days I protested against Ayub. Here we are looking at the “contributions” of Bhutto to Pakistan and Pakistanies. After killing thousands, a part of my county left us just for the reason that Bhutto wanted to be the ruler. The country has not recovered from the economic crisis of nationalization because the governments after him: Zia, Benazir, Sharif, and Musaraf were all corrupt.

I have some personal observations of Bhutto’s dictatorial behaviour which I will not narrate. However, not a day goes by when I do not remember my East Pakistan. May Allah protect us from other turmoils.

Indusonian says:

April 7th, 2011 3:03 am

Very easy to answser, what do you expect from a corrupt autocart who has no lover or passion for his own nation. No change, we would have continued to travel towards darkness. The only constant in Pakistan – continous degradation of the well being of this nation orchestrated by the ruling elite.

Z says:

April 7th, 2011 7:36 am

Not only Pakistan but whole of the world would have been a different place had Bhutto been left as PM but , sadly, it was destined. Even after that Zia had the power and authority to make Pakistan central power but with his limited vision he ruined Pakistan into a horrible place that it is today.

Every person has positives and negatives. Personally I think that ZAB did many good things but I cant help myself in believing that basically he was very selfish, arrogant and proud person. On the other hand he was charismatic, educated, popular, very good orator but that did not help.
In such a country 30 years are much more to safely guess what if he was alive. It could have gone either way :)

Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto has clear vision and ideology, but i m not happy from some of his decisions. One such decision had become the major cause of East Pakistan Tragedy. So sad Mr. Bhutto

Asadullah says:

April 8th, 2011 4:23 am

Easy answer. Pakistan would have been a better place. If only because I do not think that Benazir and Zardari would have followed. And certainly Zia and Nawaz Sharif would have not. Hopefully Musharraf would also not have followed!

readinglord says:

April 8th, 2011 5:54 am

@Sahiba Choudhry

“Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto has clear vision and ideology”

Yes, by being a demagogue of the first water, he kept it clean by creating the Frankensteins of the Second Amendment and A.Q. Khan and would have polished it further if alive today. The only good thing he did was that he is not alive today.